They seek him here, they seek him there,His clothes are loud, but never square.It will make or break him so he’s got to buy the best,‘Cause he’s a dedicated follower of fashion.

That is, of course, the Kinks there, with their 1966 hit Dedicated Follower of Fashion, that lampooned the contemporary London fashion scene of the so-called ‘Swinging Sixties’ – a song that could well have been tailor-made for Leroy Men’s Wear in downtown Seattle. Owner Leroy Shumate can often be seen posing outside of his shop in Pike Street, where he says his store “is the only place in town where pimps can buy their work clothes.”

This is unashamedly a ‘Pimp’s Emporium’, there is just no other way to describe it – and the dandy in today’s photo is certainly no stranger to shopping there. If I were a pimp I would only shop here; if I was an aspiring pimp I would shop here; and if I was a bolder man than I am today I would shop here as well. If I ever need a purple silk-like suit with a matching fedora AND with matching purple patent leather shoes, Leroy Men’s Wear is the first place I would head to.

Since we started with the Kinks, it’s also fitting we end there. According to Ray Davies, the Kinks’ lead singer and songwriter, apparently the band members have resolved their legendary differences and could be reforming to release a new album and tour again – exactly 50 years after they first formed in 1964, going on to release a string of some of the best-loved hits in British musical history, including Waterloo Sunset, Sunny Afternoon, Lola, Days, Dead End Street, You Really Got Me and Dedicated Follower of Fashion.